Li Ying was stunned.

The Lotus Pond, the graceful youth wrapped in a black crane cloak, the eerie and terrifying underworld, the tombstone at Luoyan Ridge, and the ferryman steering a small boat on the Nai River—all these scenes appeared before her. She opened her mouth but couldn’t utter a word. She stared blankly at the sleeping scholar before her, then suddenly embraced him tightly as tears streamed down her face. She finally began to sob.

Perhaps burned by her tears, or perhaps awakened by her crying, Cui Xun slowly opened his eyes. He looked at Li Ying in confusion: “Mingyue Zhu, why are you crying?”

Li Ying held him tightly, her face buried in his chest, weeping continuously: “Seventeen, Seventeen…”

Cui Xun said, “I’m right here.”

But with memories of past and present lives intertwined, Li Ying momentarily felt as if she were still in a dream. She feared that if she let go of Cui Xun, he would disappear. She feared that before her would once again appear that cold tombstone.

So she just held Cui Xun, unwilling to let go. Cui Xun gradually sensed something unusual: “Mingyue Zhu, what’s wrong?”

Li Ying sobbed: “I’m afraid.”

“What are you afraid of?”

“I’m afraid that if I let go, you’ll disappear.”

“How could I possibly disappear?”

Cui Xun comforted her, his palm gently patting her back: “Mingyue Zhu, I’m right here.”

Li Ying continued sobbing. After a while, she came to her senses. This wasn’t a dream—this was her next life.

The Cui Xun she embraced no longer had the frail, crane-like body of his previous life, but rather the tall, slender physique unique to young men. His arms, strengthened by years of archery practice, were firm and powerful. No longer would he be unable to draw even an old bow. His hands were no longer icy as in his previous life, but exceptionally warm. All this finally convinced her that this wasn’t a dream she was having, but a fulfilling new life that her father and mother had sacrificed themselves to give her.

“Father… Mother…” Li Ying murmured.

As she mentioned her parents, Cui Xun sensed something: “Mingyue Zhu… you…”

Li Ying nodded tearfully: “Seventeen, I remember everything now. I am Du Zhenyue, and I am also Princess Yong’an, Li Ying.”

Cui Xun was momentarily stunned. A moment later, he suddenly embraced her, kissing her hair with reddened eyes: “Mingyue Zhu, you remember.”

She had finally remembered everything—her past life, and all they had experienced together. All the memories belonging to Li Ying had returned. From now on, she was Du Zhenyue, she was Li Ying, and more importantly, she was his Mingyue Zhu, complete and whole.

Li Ying rested in Cui Xun’s embrace: “Seventeen, Mother, she…”

Her tears flowed unceasingly: “Mother, is she…”

Before she could finish, there came an urgent knocking at the door: “Young Master, Young Mistress, terrible news! Something grave has happened.”

This grave news was that the Empress had suddenly fallen critically ill, and her final hour would come today.

Li Ying didn’t even know how she got out of bed. Her mind went blank, unable to think of anything. Cui Xun knelt to help her put on her embroidered socks, then brought her platform shoes and helped her into them. Li Ying stood in a daze. Her vision darkened, and she nearly fell to the ground. Cui Xun caught her just in time, and she collapsed into his embrace. At that moment, as if awakening from a dream, she grabbed Cui Xun’s sleeve and pleaded: “Seventeen, I need to see Mother! I need to see her!”

“I know. I’ll take you to her.”

Li Ying nodded, but her legs were still terribly weak, too weak to stand. Cui Xun pressed his lips together, then lifted her and strode out.

Cui Xun carried Li Ying to the carriage, then ordered the driver to rush like lightning to Yu Fuwei’s residence.

Upon arriving at Yu’s mansion, Yu Fuwei was preparing to board his carriage to go to the Daming Palace. Cui Xun stopped him, briefly explaining that Li Ying had recovered her memories, and asked Yu Fuwei to bring them into the palace.

Yu Fuwei agreed without hesitation. The two followed Yu Fuwei and hurriedly rushed to the Daming Palace.

In front of the Shenlong Hall, all officials of the seventh rank and above in the capital had gathered. Everyone wore anxious expressions. Standing at the front, Imperial Grandson Li Zheng appeared particularly distraught. Although the Empress had not been kind to him, and he both respected and feared his grandmother, now that the Empress was about to pass away, and he, at only sixteen years old, had just been appointed Imperial Grandson, he wondered if he could truly govern such a vast empire without the Empress.

He doubted himself.

Chancellor Lu Huai said solemnly beside him: “Your Highness.”

The title brought Li Zheng back to his senses. He looked blankly at Lu Huai: “Teacher, what should I do?”

“Your Highness is the Imperial Grandson and should stabilize the situation.” Lu Huai looked at the panicked officials outside the hall and encouraged Li Zheng in a gentle voice: “Since Her Majesty appointed you as Imperial Grandson, it means she trusts you. Your Highness must not betray this trust.”

Her Majesty… trusts him… Li Zheng seemed inspired. His spirits lifted: “Teacher, you’re right. Since Her Majesty made me Imperial Grandson, I cannot disappoint her.”

He composed himself and began walking down the hall to comfort the officials. He strictly ordered the Imperial Guards to secure the palace gates, preventing anyone from spreading news that might disturb the public. He also commanded the Southern and Northern Palace Guards to guard all city gates to prevent any opportunistic unrest. Everything was arranged in an orderly manner, finally putting Lu Huai’s mind at ease.

At this time, Luozhou Governor Yu Fuwei arrived at the palace with the Top Scholar and his wife. He brought Cui Xun and Li Ying to the side entrance of the Shenlong Hall and asked an attendant to relay a message, saying that the Top Scholar and his wife had come to see the Empress.

Yu Fuwei had always been deeply trusted by the Empress. Although the attendant was filled with doubt, he still went to convey the message. Shortly after, the attendant hurriedly returned, saying the Empress had summoned the Top Scholar and his wife.

Li Ying practically ran to the Empress’s bedchamber. As soon as she entered, she rushed to the Empress’s sickbed, knelt, and cried: “Mother…”

The word “Mother” let the Empress know that she had remembered everything. The Empress’s body was so weak that she had no strength at all, but she still forced her trembling hand to reach out, trying to wipe away Li Ying’s tears. Li Ying frantically grabbed her hand and cried: “Mother, Mingyue Zhu has come too late.”

“Not late, not late…” The Empress also shed tears: “It’s just right, just right.”

“Mother…” Li Ying collapsed at her bedside, weeping bitterly: “Mother, the imperial physicians will surely heal you, they surely will!”

“Silly child.” The Empress smiled weakly: “Mother is already eighty years old. In this world, who doesn’t age and die? Living to eighty before dying is already a blessed longevity.”

“But Mingyue Zhu has so many things she wants to tell Mother. Mingyue Zhu can’t bear to part with Mother…”

The Empress held Li Ying’s hand with trembling fingers, just as she had done when Li Ying was young, indulgently saying to her: “Mingyue Zhu, don’t be reluctant to part with Mother. That Mother could see you married, could receive your bow in the wedding canopy—I can die without regrets.”

She paused, then added: “Your Father has been waiting for Mother long enough. Mother must go to him now…”

Li Ying was stunned. Tears glimmered in the Empress’s eyes: “After so many years of marriage, your Father wronged me in some ways, and I wronged him in others. This debt, Mother can’t reckon anymore. In the underworld, Mother will settle accounts with him properly…”

Li Ying could no longer contain herself and began to wail: “Mother…”

The Empress sighed and looked at Cui Xun, who was kneeling beside Li Ying: “Wangshu.”

“Your subject is here.”

“I entrust Mingyue Zhu to you with complete peace of mind. I believe you will love and protect Mingyue Zhu for your entire life.”

Cui Xun’s eyes reddened: “I will.”

The Empress nodded: “Go and bring what’s on the table.”

Cui Xun rose. On the table lay an imperial edict and something wrapped in yellow silk. Cui Xun brought them to the Empress, but she didn’t take them. Instead, she said to Cui Xun: “Open it.”

Cui Xun opened the yellow silk wrap to reveal two iron certificates with vermilion writing.

The bearer of such a certificate could be spared execution even for the crime of rebellion. Moreover, the certificate could be passed down to descendants, sparing one of them from execution as well.

These iron certificates had only been granted to meritorious officials at the founding of the Great Zhou and had never been bestowed upon any official since. Cui Xun was stunned: “Your Majesty…”

The Empress said, “These are for you and Mingyue Zhu. May these iron certificates ensure your lifelong safety.”

A parent’s love for their child makes them plan far ahead. The Empress had painstakingly arranged all this just to ensure the safety of Li Ying and her husband throughout their lives.

Li Ying bit her lip as tears cascaded down: “Mother…”

Cui Xun then opened the imperial edict. It stated that the Empress was adopting Du Zhenyue as her daughter, conferring upon her the title of Princess Wan’an, with an estate of three thousand households.

Three thousand households—that was the treatment accorded to the legitimate daughters of emperors and empresses. The Empress held Li Ying’s hand and murmured, “Mingyue Zhu, sixteen years ago, the last time you saw Mother, you said that if there were another life, you would still want to be Mother’s daughter. Mother has remembered these words for sixteen years, never forgetting them for a moment. Now, Mother has found you. Will you be Mother’s daughter once more?”

Li Ying had cried until she could barely breathe: “Mingyue Zhu… has always been Mother’s daughter…”

The Empress patted her hand, smiled, then said to Cui Xun: “Wangshu, the court diary’s record of your recommendation for the heir will ensure your lifelong prosperity. The iron certificates will ensure your lifelong safety. The conferment of the princess title upon Mingyue Zhu will ensure your lifelong honor. Mother has done all she could. The rest of your journey, you must walk yourselves.”

Seeing the Empress’s deep concern, Cui Xun, who rarely shed tears, found his throat constricted. He said: “Your Majesty need not worry. In the days to come, I will certainly take good care of Mingyue Zhu.”

“With you by her side, I am at ease.”

The Empress looked one last time at Li Ying, whose eyes were swollen from crying. She sighed: “Mingyue Zhu, Mother has done what a mother should do. Now, Mother must do what an emperor should do.”

She coughed twice, then said to Cui Xun: “Wangshu, take Mingyue Zhu away.”

Cui Xun nodded silently, fighting back tears. He helped Li Ying, who was nearly fainting from crying, and they left the chamber, looking back repeatedly.

After Cui Xun had taken Li Ying away, the Empress ordered her attendants to summon Chancellor Lu Huai and other key ministers to make arrangements for after her death. These arrangements continued from daylight into night. The Empress felt her body growing increasingly heavy. She looked at Li Zheng, who was kneeling in a daze, and said gently: “Zheng’er, come here.”

This was the first time she had called Li Zheng a grandson. Li Zheng was stunned but obediently went to the Empress’s bedside and knelt. The Empress looked at his face, which resembled his father’s, and sighed: “Zheng’er, do you blame me for what happened to your father?”

Li Zheng wept: “No, I don’t.”

He knew that although his father had been executed by the Empress’s order, his father had indeed been in the wrong. His father had deeply hurt the Empress, and after his father’s death, the Empress had become a vegetarian for life to atone for his father’s sins. How could he blame the Empress?

“Good child.” The Empress said softly, “Zheng’er, could you call me Grandmother, please?”

Li Zheng was astonished. His lips trembled, and his tears flowed more heavily: “Grandmother…”

The Empress reached out to touch his face. Li Zheng grabbed her weak hand and held it against his cheek. The Empress’s tears also fell: “Zheng’er, have you always thought that Grandmother despised you? It’s not so. You are Grandmother’s only grandson. How could Grandmother possibly despise you? Grandmother just didn’t know how to face you, because when Grandmother saw you, she was reminded of your father…”

Li Zheng was now weeping openly: “Grandson knows, grandson knows…”

Lu Huai, kneeling nearby, was also deeply moved. He said, “Your Highness, when Her Majesty appointed me as your teacher, she instructed me to take good care of you. After the fire at the Hot Springs Palace, Her Majesty had the Imperial Guards secretly protect you, ensuring you wouldn’t come to any harm. Her Majesty truly loves you.”

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have chosen the Chancellor as his teacher, nor would she have entrusted him with such important matters as overseeing the imperial examinations.

Her outward coldness was only because she truly didn’t know how to face this child.

Upon hearing Lu Huai’s words, Li Zheng was heartbroken. He cried: “Grandmother…”

The Empress murmured, “Zheng’er, forgive Grandmother.”

“No, Grandson has never blamed Grandmother… truly never blamed…”

The Empress smiled with contentment. Summoning her last breath, she addressed the kneeling ministers entrusted with the regency: “All of you, I entrust to you my grandson, the future Emperor of the Great Zhou. The Emperor is filial and kind, but too young. I hope you will be like Duke Zhou, assisting him. I am deeply grateful.”

The ministers wept: “Your Majesty, rest assured. We will assist the new Emperor until our dying breaths.”

The Empress nodded. She looked around at the ministers in the hall, at these important officials she had personally promoted. Finally, her gaze settled on Lu Huai. As both the Prime Minister and the Imperial Tutor, loyal and righteous, with him assisting Li Zheng, she had no worries. She looked again at Li Zheng. Though young, in these past few years of handling state affairs, he had shown decisiveness and good judgment. She had no worries there either.

And her most beloved daughter, with Cui Xun taking care of her, she had no worries at all.

The Empress of the Great Zhou, with a smile on her lips, slowly closed her eyes.

In her life, she had risen from a merchant’s daughter who couldn’t afford shoes to an Empress who held the power of life and death. During her reign, she had implemented new policies, driven away barbarian invaders, and stabilized the nation, achievements that would be recorded in history. Though she was a woman, all court historians had to acknowledge that she was an emperor worthy of being remembered for a thousand years.

This empress of unparalleled brilliance passed away in the spring of the sixteenth year of Yong’an.

At the moment of her passing, she had no regrets.